ELR-News

March 2012

Newsletter of ELR Software Pty Ltd

ELR Software produces a range of computer programs designed by speech pathologists for speech, language & literacy intervention. Our programs may be used interactively within therapy sessions, to increase efficiency in service delivery, and to improve access to the Internet for people with special needs. We are also available as consultants to clinicians and research projects in the fields of literacy and accessibility issues associated with the Internet.

The aim of this newsletter is to inform you of developments and changes to our major products eLr (Extra Language Resources), Build-a-Sentence, Word Meanings, Rude Readers and EIA (Enhancing Internet Access). We welcome the opportunity for feedback and questions, and will be pleased to consider including reader contributions and announcements.

This Newsletter (and previous editions) as well as a "print-ready" PDF version of the current edition is available online at www.elr.com.au/news. An email version is also sent monthly to members of our mailing list (See Subscribing/Unsubscribing).

46 new tasks have been added to "Phonology - Skills and Early Sounds - Phonemic awareness for this sound" in the /p/ /b/ /t/ and /d/ subsections.

Last year we began developing phonemic awareness activities targeting individual speech sounds. We completed all the sounds in "Phonology - Later Sounds", (/k, g, f, v, s, z, sh, zh, ch, dge, l, r, th/, and blends with /s, l, r/). This month and for the next couple of versions, we will complete phonemic awareness activities for the early sounds (/p, b, t, d, m, n, ng, h, w/).

The tasks this month are all picture based, using the MultiPic Slideshow, SpinPics, LadderPics, and Pic sound buttons. These models aim to strengthen the identification of words that start or end with a specific sound, and the ability to segment words (break words into sounds). In the identification tasks (all except Pic sound buttons), there are two levels of difficulty. The easier level provides the child with words that are very different (high contrast). For example, "which one starts with /p/ - pear, cup, dog". The more difficult level occurs when the child is presented with words that are more similar (low contrast). For example, "which one starts with /p/ - pear bear men". In this example of a low contrast choice all of the beginning sounds are produced with the lips, /p, b, m/.

These new sections provide material to work on targeted phonemic awareness skills. This type of intervention has been shown in the research to significantly improve literacy skills, especially for children who have speech sound errors. They are also useful for children who have literacy problems due to confusion with specific sounds or letters.

The role of the clinician or helper is critical in all of these tasks to deliver the verbal stimuli, provide feedback, and encourage strategies to increase auditory processing skills and letter sound knowledge.

As an occasional feature of this Newsletter, we include simple, unpaid announcements of products developed by other small, independent developers, who, like ourselves, are practising clinicians who have put their ideas and experience into resource materials for general distribution. Links and brief information about these sites may be found at www.elr.com.au/links/developers.htm. To date we have listed -

ELR has a number of free or evaluation files available for downloading directly from our website. Please see www.elr.com.au/downloads.htm for specific details. For other supporting materials and documents available for free download, please see www.elr.com.au/support.htm.

eLr-Offline: Compiled, "mirror" version of the eLr (Extra Language Resources) website which you may download and run on your own PC. Allows access to the eLr Directory and all tasks from locations where regular access to the Internet is not possible.

Build-a-Sentence: An interactive program to strengthen labeling of nouns, verbs and objects and production of 2 & 3 part sentences.

Word Meanings: Volume One. Trialware, Interactive Language Program designed to build understanding and recall of words by strengthening semantic processing, based on the therapy manual Building Language: Word Meanings by Robyn Dower and Jan Mackey's, Helios Art and Book Co, 1996.

eLr Directory (Summary): Summary of eLr Directory in print-ready PDF format. Contains all the classification information but no listing of actual tasks and task numbers. (The full version is available only to eLr subscribers.)

EIA Browser: A specialised Browser for Internet training and access for people with disabilities and other special needs.

EIA Demonstration: Demonstration of EIA Browser, AAP and Web Tutorial modules to let you see, or show others, how the EIA Browser and its Plugin modules (the AAP and the Web Tutorial) "look and feel".

Black Window: Enhance visibility and reduce distractibility of other programs. Fills the screen with a black background which remains underneath other programs. Minimize or close the program to restore normal Windows appearance.

APAR-C: Allows delivery of the APAR (Assessment of Phonological Awareness and Reading) from a computer using either a scan-switch (such as the Discover Switch), or conventional mouse/keyboard, or touchscreen. Also contains all the score sheets and stimulus cards.

WordCue Trainer: Installs WordCue and the WordCue Trainer on your computer. WordCue provides assistance in reading words, links and phrases on web pages. By selecting a word or phrase which is difficult to read, a range of cues are provided directly within the MS Internet Explorer Browser

Literacy Online: Mirror of Literacy Online web site. This is the full (except for external links) set of files (.htm/.js/.css/.gif/.jpg) that constitute the Literacy Online web site.

ELR Software is now able to offer eLr support and short tutorials over the web. We can provide this sort of support to individuals, or to groups who would like to have an overview of eLr. Please contact us for details.

You are receiving ELR-News because you are an eLr subscriber, or have expressed an interest in either eLr, Rude Readers, Word Meanings, Build-a-Sentence or EIA. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail with details to
news@elr.com.au